NHS 111
NHS 111 – for urgent medical concerns
NHS 111 is much more than a helpline – if you're worried about an urgent medical concern, you can call 111 to speak to a fully trained adviser.
NHS 111 advisers can also assess if you need if an ambulance and send one immediately if necessary.
When should I call NHS 111?
If you're worried about an urgent medical concern, call 111 and speak to a fully trained adviser. For less urgent health needs, contact your GP or local pharmacist.
How does NHS 111 work?
The NHS 111 service is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by a team of fully trained advisers. They will ask questions to assess your symptoms and, depending on the situation, will then:
- Give you self-care advice
- Send an ambulance directly, if necessary
- Direct you to the local service that can help you best with your concern
Accessibility
NHS 111 offers a video relay service that allows you to make a video call to a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter. The BSL interpreter will call an NHS 111 adviser on your behalf, and you will then be able to have a real-time conversation with the NHS 111 adviser via the interpreter.
You'll need a webcam, a modern computer and a good broadband connection to use this service. Visit NHS 111 BSL interpreter service for more details and an online user guide.
If you have difficulties communicating or hearing, you can use the NHS 111 service through a text phone by calling 18001 111.
Calls are connected to the Text Direct system and the text phone will display messages to tell you what's happening. A type talk relay assistant will automatically join the call.
They'll talk back what you've typed to the NHS 111 adviser and, in return, type back the adviser's conversation so you can read it on your text phone’s display or computer. In addition, an interpreter service is available for those whose first language is not English.